getting early release from the ship

[6starrs]

hi everyone.. we are traveling this week 2/11/06 on the voyager of the seas. our ta booked our return flights home from Fort Lauderdale at 11;30 a.m. the ship arrives back at port at 8:30 a.m.. Our TA instructed us to ask for an early release. Are we pushing our luck with getting to our flight or do we have nothing to worry about? Has anyone ever had this situation before>:eek:

[suzeyQ]

Sounds like you're getting out of prison!!!!

 

Seriously though, that's pretty early for a departing flight. I can never quite understand why TA's book them that early - you never know what can happen to delay disembarkation. You should be ok though as long as everything runs smoothly - the cruiseline will ask for your departure info and they'll put you in one of the earlier groups to disembark because of your flight time.

[nparmelee]

Just make sure you get off in the early group for debarkation, if they don't give you the color code for one of the earliest groups off, go see the folks that give those out and make them switch the baggage tags for you. As a backup plan....have a list of flights for later in the day in case you do have any trouble. When we did Ft. Lauderdale last April we would have made that flight time and we didn't get off the ship until 9:15 or so, so you should have no prblem unless something bad happens.

[wrp96]

Just make sure you get off in the early group for debarkation, if they don't give you the color code for one of the earliest groups off, go see the folks that give those out and make them switch the baggage tags for you. As a backup plan....have a list of flights for later in the day in case you do have any trouble. When we did Ft. Lauderdale last April we would have made that flight time and we didn't get off the ship until 9:15 or so, so you should have no prblem unless something bad happens.

 

Did you sail out of Ft. Lauderdale or Miami? I missed an 11:40 flight at MIA coming off of Voyager in Miami so I would be worried about an 11:30 flight out of FLL since it is farther away.

 

When you get on board, take your tickets to the pursers desk and tell them you need to be in the first color off - or plan on doing self disembark, but go early to the purser's desk to sign up for it.

[The Grumpus]

The wife and I recently finished a cruise on Jewel out of Ft. L. We were scheduled to fly out of FLL at 11:10am. When they finally called over the loud speaker for disembarking people, we were the first color, "Gray 1" I believe. Anyway, we got off the ship pretty quick, went though customs fast but the pre-arranged bus service to FLL was really slow, had we just hailed a cab we probably would have made the 11:10 flight… barely. As it was we were lucky, we got off the ship around 9:10 and made it to the airport about 10:50. Keep in mind that the Ft L. airport is almost in spitting distance from the pier. We would have missed that flight but it was delayed 50 minutes so we made it. If your pier is Ft. Lauderdale you can make it so long as you are picked first to leave the ship and there are few delays on the ground. If Miami is your port you should forget about it and get a later flight.

[Cruisin' Chick]

You always need to be prepared to be delayed. On our last cruise, I don't think the first group of passengers got off the ship until 9ish (we didn't til 11:10 but we were getting a ride straight home). And we're talking a Friday in Los Angeles, where rush hour can last all day going toward LAX.

[Bequia]

That's out of Miami isn't it? Your pushing your luck if it is. Arrange with the purser for priority disembarkation and carry your luggage off the ship yourself. Grab the first cab you see.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You definitely have to get another flight if you are disembaking the ship in Miami and going to fly out of Ft Lauderdale. Even if you are among the first off the ship, consider that there might be heavy traffic to Ft Lauderdale airport. And weekends at Ft Lauderdale airport can be a zoo trying to get through security.

[6starrs]

hi everyone.. we are traveling this week 2/11/06 on the voyager of the seas. our ta booked our return flights home from Fort Lauderdale at 11;30 a.m. the ship arrives back at port at 8:30 a.m.. Our TA instructed us to ask for an early release. Are we pushing our luck with getting to our flight or do we have nothing to worry about? Has anyone ever had this situation before>:eek:

I FORGOT TO MENTION THE SHIP ATRRIVES IN PORT OF MIAMI

[Bequia]

Are we pushing our luck with getting to our flight or do we have nothing to worry about?

 

If your ship was returning to Ft Lauderdale and you were flying out of FLL it would be "doable". Out of Miami....good luck, you'll need it.

The whole dilema, 'will I make it or not', is going to put a damper on your entire vacation. Your going to spend the week worrying about catching that flight instead of relaxing and enjoying your cruise.

Sure it's possible, but if you were to bet on it, the odd's are not in your favor. ;)

[kitty9]

You'd better hope there will be seats available on later flights because chances are VERY good you won't make that flight out of FLL when you're ship arrives in Miami. Even if you get off the ship by 9am (and that's only if everything goes smoothly), you have to find your bags, stand in what could be a long slow line for Customs, get to your transportation (don't take the ship's transfers because they wait for a long time to fill up a bus) and then take the 45 minute ride to FLL. Once there, you have to stand in VERY long lines to check in, and then another long line to go through security.

[wrp96]

You'd better hope there will be seats available on later flights because chances are VERY good you won't make that flight out of FLL when you're ship arrives in Miami.

 

The likelihood of there being many empty seats left that day is low, since I'm pretty sure Voyager sails on Saturdays which are huge cruise days in both Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. When I missed my flight, there was exactly one seat available to get me home the rest of the day, and I didn't get home until midnight.